In vivo treatment of secondary E. multilocularis infected Balb/c mice with BTZ reduces parasite weight.

Balb/c mice were i.p. infected with in vitro-cultured E. multilocularis parasite material. After 6 weeks, treatment was performed for 6 weeks (5 days a week) with 2×5 mice in each treatment group. Controls received honey/CMC p.o. and PBS i.p. ABZ received 200 mg/kg ABZ in honey/CMC and PBS i.p. BTZ received honey/CMC p.o. and 0.7 mg/kg BTZ i.p. once a week for three weeks, then 0.5 mg/kg twice a week for another three weeks. ABZ/BTZ received ABZ p.o. and BTZ i.p. as stated above. After euthanization parasite material was resected (A) and weighed (B). A, macroscopical assessment showed proliferating metacestode masses with many big and small vesicles (see black arrows) in the control group. All treated groups showed less metacestodes, especially less proliferating ones and more white and encapsulated, small cysts (see white arrows). B, parasite weight visualized by boxplot. Statistical analysis of log-transformed data confirmed a highly significant parasite mass reduction with ABZ and ABZ/BTZ treatment.